


Crack in the Facade

by little0bird



Series: Stolen Time [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 19:23:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19730209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little0bird/pseuds/little0bird





	Crack in the Facade

The two dark-haired men perched stiffly on a flat boulder, assiduously avoiding each other's gaze. Occasionally, one would run an agitated hand through his short, messy hair. The other kept his eyes fixed firmly on the toes of his shoes, his straight black hair forming curtains on either side of his face, effectively hiding his apprehension from the other man.

'How long are they going to sit there?' Sirius growled irritably.

'Well, you know Prongsie, Pads,' Remus said calmly. 'He's as stubborn as that rock they're on.'

'Men,' snorted Lily.

'Can't live with them, can't kill them,' Tonks added in an undertone.

'They've been there all bloody day,' sighed Sirius, kicking at a pebble.

'Come on,' Lily urged. 'Let's leave them in peace.'

'Do we have to?' Remus asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes, echoes of the Marauder shining through them. 'This ought to be entertaining…'

'Five Galleons that Sniv – Erm, I mean, Severus, breaks first,' Sirius choked.

'Oh, for the love of Godric Gryffindor,' huffed Tonks. 'Children. The lot of you.' The stern expression she wore nearly slipped as Remus beamed at her in childlike amusement. Her lips twitched, but Tonks tossed her head and stalked away. She couldn't stay angry at him for long when he displayed such unbridled joy, even if it was at his best friend's expense.

Lily nudged Sirius. 'Go on, then… Leave them be. They're not going to do a thing while we're treating them like some sort of show.'

Regretfully, Sirius pushed himself to his feet and wandered away, whistling softly through his teeth. He'd rabbit it out of James later.

Lily cleared her throat significantly, glaring at Remus, who sheepishly grinned and trailed after Tonks.

Lily stood in the shadows watching them, her arms wrapped around the trunk of a large elm tree. She was too far away to hear what they said, if anything at all.

The shadows began to lengthen, deepening in the fading daylight when James finally opened his mouth. His lips barely moved and it seemed to cost him a great deal of effort to expel the words. 'Thank you. For my son,' he said tightly, so low, Snape nearly had to ask him to repeat himself.

Snape briefly considered asking James to say it again, just to hear him concede this small measure of defeat. Instead, he nodded jerkily, his eyes still remaining on the toes of his shoes.

James grunted once in acknowledgement and rose from his seat. His eyes turned toward Lily, partially hidden by the large tree, but he could see the blaze of her hair shimmer in the gloom of the shadows it

cast. He strode in her direction, pausing long enough to take her hand, and they disappeared into the valley.

Snape lingered on the boulder, biting back the bile that rose in the back of his throat.

It seemed some things never would change.


End file.
